One of the biggest surprises in store for moviegoers this summer won’t be found in the last few seconds of Inception.

The real revelation is that Mark Wahlberg is seriously funny, a fact audiences will come to realize when The Other Guys hits theatres.

“If you come from a different background — doing serious films — and you try to do a broad comedy and it’s not funny, you’re probably not going to get the chance to do it again,” Wahlberg says of his decision to dive into the comedy fray.

Luckily he teamed up with some strong comedic talent. The movie co-stars Will Ferrell and was directed and written by Adam McKay, who helmed some of Ferrell’s earlier hits, including Anchorman and Talladega Nights. Considering that Ferrell and McKay’s relationship spans their days at Saturday Night Live starting in 1995, the co-founding of FunnyorDie.com and the birthing of some of Ferrell’s most beloved roles, Wahlberg easily could have taken a back seat.

But rather than play the patsy and let them have all the fun, the actor exploits his brooding tough guy image, perfected in roles such as his Oscar-nominated turn in The Departed, and turns in a side-splittingly funny performance that’s neck-and-neck with Farrell’s.

“It was really just about letting go, being fearless, not being afraid to look ridiculous and have people laugh at you instead of with you,” Wahlberg explains. “Coming from the background I come from, you can be a little self-conscious. It’s OK to be cool but it’s not OK to be corny. That’s something I’ve dealt with over the years as an actor, not worrying what people think.”